A Prayer to Find Light When You Feel Surrounded by Darkness
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).
Read or Listen Below:
Due to struggling with chronic depression, I have periods where I feel nothing but darkness. This tends to happen in Winter, but it can come any time of the year. When this deep darkness comes over me, I feel hopeless. I want to stay in bed, hide from the world, and never see the light again.
While many people develop depression after a circumstance or a tragedy, I developed depression for no known cause. From the time I was taken to homeschool, I suddenly found myself with depression. I wasn’t sad to be at homeschool, yet I had an inexpressible pain that I could not articulate with words. I communicated in tears, which my mother reasoned was emotions and sensitivity.
My mother always believed I was overly sensitive, and many people in my adult life have said I have “strong emotions.” During my teenage years, I told my mom that it was just my sensitivity and that I would “get over it” or “grow out of it.” Sadly, you don’t “get over” or “grow out” of depression. You see, when I was a teenager, not much was spoken of concerning mental health—and that wasn’t even that long ago.
More is spoken of today when it comes to mental health, yet that doesn’t mean that some parents and other individuals are aware of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health issues. This is a great misfortune because our family and loved ones should be the ones who are our biggest supporters. However, how can they be supportive if they don’t understand or know about mental illness?
Therefore, if you are struggling to find light when you feel surrounded by darkness, it could be you are struggling with depression. It could be deep sadness and sorrow, but it is worth looking into. Depression can be managed by turning to the Lord, seeking out help from medical professionals, and going to therapy. It cannot be cured; however, it can be managed, and you will see the light again.
I do better when walking close to the Lord, engaging in hobbies I enjoy, and meeting with loved ones. Depression can make you want to isolate yourself, but this is not wise. It will only make your depression worse if you choose to isolate yourself from God, others, and things you once enjoyed. God can help us with our depression, but this doesn’t mean He will heal us from it. I’ve prayed numerous times for my depression to heal, yet it never goes away. It can sometimes be managed and lifted but cannot be entirely eradicated. While praying for complete healing from depression might not be optimal, we can pray to find light when we feel surrounded by darkness.
The Apostle John tells us, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5). The light of the Lord can eradicate the darkness we are facing. His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. This tells us that light always reigns over darkness.
Lean into Jesus and His love. He is the world's light (John 8:12) and will bless us with everything we need to face this time of darkness. The darkness will not be able to stand before Jesus. It will flee, and the Lord will give us peace once again. However, the first step is to turn to Jesus, pray to Him, and trust Him with the outcome.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Jesus, please help me find light when surrounded by darkness. At times, I feel as though there is nothing but darkness around me. You are the world's light, and I know You will surround me with Your brilliant light. Help me as I walk through this darkness and to focus on Your light fully. Once I do this, I will feel more confident and strong in life. You are my guiding force and the One who knows me better than anyone else. My heart praises You, Lord, Amen.
Photo Credit Unsplash/Ahmed Hasan
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